Three of the Best Halloween Destinations

Does Halloween top your list of best-loved holidays? I must admit, it’s one of my favourites, though copious amounts of candy as a child and the fact that it’s exactly a week after my birthday probably play a big role in that. Nonetheless, I revel in the chance to wear something different for once, even if I’m a little too old for Trick or Treating now.

If Halloween’s your thing, you might want to think about taking a Halloween-themed vacation. Here are some places to have a very spooky trip, according to Frommer’s:

  • Romania. Instead of dressing up as Dracula, how about visiting his home in Transylvania? Transylvania is located one hour’s drive from Bucharest, and while there, you can visit Dracula’s crypt, do a witch tour, enjoy festivities at Castle Dracula Hotel and much more. Bring some garlic and a wooden stake just in case.
  • New Orleans. It’s not just the place for Mardi Gras — New Orleans‘ French Quarter is the goth capital of North America once the end of October roles around. To make your travels extra creepy, check out some of the local cemeteries, take a ghost tour, and be sure to attend the annual Vampire ball. For more information, click here.
  • Salem. Famously the home of the witch hunts, Salem, Massachusetts, is a great place to get your freak on. Spooky nature walks, tours of the witch museum and possibly even a stay in a haunted hotel will make your trip as scary as possible.

However, for those of us who are into Halloween but are still a little wimpy when it comes to goblins and ghouls, maybe a trip to Disneyland for their milder version of the holiday is in order?

Romania to Buy Dracula’s Castle

The state of Romania has made one of its first announcements as a new EU member loud and clear: they want to buy the medieval fortress in Transylvania, Bran Castle (known also as “Dracula’s Castle“) back from the former royal family of Habsburgs, Reuters reports. The price tag? 60 million Euros.

The castle was confiscated from the Habsburgs by the communists after WWII and just last year the former royal family got it back through restitution.

The fortress was never actually part of Bram Stoker’s novel “Dracula”. However, Romania’s 15th century ruler Vlad Tepes who visited there, served as an inspiration for the author. The castle has been a tourist attraction ever since.